x

Chapter Ten: Pt. II

The tenth thing at Christmas that's such a pain to me:

Batteries Not Included

(No parking spaces

BUY ME SOMETHIN'

Get a job, ya bum!

Oh, facing my in-laws

Five months of bills!

Yo-ho, sending Christmas cards

Oh, geez, look at this

One light goes out, they ALL go out!

And finding a Christmas tree)

Beca watches them all go upstairs to bed then tosses the battery on the coffee table. She stares at it as it rolls – speechless. Over her dead body will she ever have sex with Aubrey and/or Chloe. "You can just have our batteries," she finally says. Only, Aubrey is still holding hers – contemplating. And Beca suddenly regrets telling her to go for it. "Dude!" She snatches her battery back up when Aubrey reaches for it.

"Well, if you don't want it…" Chloe says.

"That doesn't mean I want to give it to Aubrey."

"It's not like we've never had sex before," Chloe states.

Beca regrets it the moment she speaks, "What?" She hadn't been expecting that.

"Beca," Aubrey slurs her name, "We lived in this house alone for a year. Do you really think we never had sex?"

"There was a lot of tension that needed relieving," Chloe adds, "Mostly because of you."

Aubrey nods her agreement.

"So, technically, you were already there in spirit."

"You guys are drunk," Beca points out, "I'm not having sex with you."

"No one is forcing you to have sex," Chloe says, "Just give us the battery and we'll do it without you."

"Or," Beca suggests, "We could both give you our batteries and you can…do it alone."

Chloe gives her an odd look. "So you want me to masturbate while Aubrey is laying in bed next to me? Beca Mitchell, I never would have expected that from you."

"That's not-" Beca stops herself, "You know what? If you want a battery so bad, you can take one out of something else."

"Like what?" Chloe asks.

Beca tries to think of something. The first thing that comes to mind are the speakers in the house, but those are Triple A. "I don't know. Check Aubrey's car."

"My car doesn't run on Double A batteries, Beca."

"I meant maybe you have something in your trunk."

Aubrey shakes her head.

"Well then I guess you're out of luck," Beca says, "Because you're not getting this battery." She grabs a red cup and tosses back whatever's inside. "And I'm taking these too." She gathers up as many red cups as she can carry so maybe she can forget this conversation.

xxxxx

Beca sits down on her bed and pulls her laptop and keyboard her direction. She taps down on one of the keys, not expecting to hear silence. Frowning, she presses it a few more times. "You've gotta be kidding," she mumbles, "Amy, were you using my keyboard?" She drinks from one of the cups, nearly choking over what's inside. It tastes so much like pine needles, it's uncanny.

"No." Fat Amy peers around the tree. "Why? What's up?"

"It's just not working." Beca turns it over and opens the battery cover. Missing from her keyboard are two Double A batteries. There's no way Aubrey and Chloe could have done it, which can only mean one thing: Stacie.

xxxxx

"Stacie, open up." Beca bangs on her bedroom door. She steps back when the door opens. "Did you take the batteries out of my keyboard?"

Stacie's smile says everything Beca needs to know.

"You need to go get my battery back from Aubrey."

"I would," Stacie says, "But you can't take back gifts."

"You can when they weren't yours to give."

"Bye," Stacie gives her a finger wave and slowly closes the door.

xxxxx

Aubrey and Chloe are sitting cuddled up on Chloe's bed, giggling about something until Beca knocks on the open door.

"Stacie took that battery from my keyboard," Beca says, "I need it back."

They're quiet for a moment, and Beca expects and argument, until Aubrey puts her hand on Chloe's shoulder. "I'll go put it back."

"I don't need you to put it back." It's too late. Aubrey is already standing up. "I just need you to give it back. Like put it in my hand." She follows Aubrey to her bedroom and looks around for Amy – who hopefully just left to use the bathroom and is not completely gone. "I can put it back myself." She steps in to take it, but finds herself trapped between Aubrey and the tree. Pine needles stab her in the back as she tries to inch around behind Aubrey to reach her keyboard.

Aubrey pops the battery in then turns – the entire front half of her body suddenly pressed against Beca's.

Beca freezes solid. "What?" she asks a good ten seconds after realizing Aubrey said something.

"I said it should work now." She smells like a Christmas cookie factory exploded – and alcohol. So much alcohol.

"Gr-great. Thanks," Beca stammers, "I just…I can't – I can't really get to it with you standing there."

Aubrey nods and tries to squeeze out from the tight space – hands on Beca to steady herself, pressing her further back into the tree, their bodies brushing against each other.

Beca suddenly misses the lack of electricity, because it is way too warm in her room. Her hands end up on Aubrey's waist in an attempt to get past her.

"I think I might be a little drunk," Aubrey realizes – and stops to inform Beca of it.

"Aubrey, move!" Beca shouldn't have yelled at her. She shouldn't have yelled. Because Aubrey folds her arms like a petulant child and remains rooted to her spot. "I'm sorry. Please, move?" She cringes and tries to smile up at her. "Your elbow is digging into my boob."

Aubrey sighs and lowers her arm so she can ease herself past the tree.

Thank God. Beca's foot hits the tree stand as she attempts to follow, and she flails her arms forward, grabbing onto the nearest thing to keep herself from falling – Aubrey. "Oh, Jesus." Aubrey drunkenly falls sideways onto the bed, and Beca ends up directly on top of her.

"Your hand is digging into my crotch," Aubrey deadpans.

Beca quickly moves it before she can even assess the situation – and once she does assess it, she realizes she should have moved the rest of her body just as quickly, because the moment she realizes Aubrey is pinned beneath her, she likes the role change.

"If I didn't know any better, Beca, I'd think you like being on top of me?"

Who wouldn't? Beca nearly chokes on air. Because Aubrey is always on top. In control. Is there an off button for thoughts? "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you like being under me," she sputters.

Aubrey scoffs – but she doesn't make an effort to push her away either. Instead, her gaze shifts downward to Beca's lips.

Beca leans in then jolts back once their lips brush and she realizes what she's doing. She can't take advantage of Aubrey drunk. She doesn't want to take advantage of Aubrey at all. Right?

"And I thought you both liked me," Chloe says from the doorway, "Boy, was I wrong."

Beca backs away and Aubrey sits up, rubbing the back of her head.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asks, coming in to help her up.

"I hit my head on Beca's keyboard." Aubrey glares at her.

"And that's my fault?" Okay…it sort of is Beca's fault.

They stand there in awkward silence.

"Goodnight," Beca finally says.

"Sweet dreams." Chloe winks at her on the way out.